Link repaired: twango.com/channel/wonderbot.Eurochamp

Sorry, didn't mean to send anyone off registering with Twango in my last post about news photos of the European Championships. I thought I might circumvent setting the channel as (gulp!) public, but no such luck. I believe the link is reparied now, but I will continue to test it from other environments. Thanks.

European contingent set to represent at world's

The news photography of the European Figure Skating Championships in Warsaw January 22 - 28, 2007, was 4.75 stars out of 6. Click on any thumbnail below to view my selection of the photos from Yahoo! News. Once at the new site, click on the first, or any, thumbnail there, and the full-size image will appear along with a "previous/next" photo selector on the right side of the page.

The Russian-less women's podium, below: left, Switzerland's Sarah Meier, silver; center, Italy's Carolina Kostner, gold; and, Finland's Kiira Korpi, bronze.

Official results site

The goddess wins 5th Pan Pacific title

Hingis rolls past Ivanovic for fifth Pan Pacific Open title At left in the photo at left, Martina Hingis, and at right and below, Serbia's Ana Ivanovic.

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Issei Kato; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Issei Kato; Yahoo! News/AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi; Yahoo! News/AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi

Updated: Pattaya Women's Open 2007 Photo Gallery link

Actually, the link I gave Saturday as Pattaya Women's Open 2007 Photo Gallery has changed, and the newer, better and larger link is here!

Allyson Felix sets USA record in the 200 meters and 300 meters at the 2007 Tyson Invitational

Felix sets American record at Tyson Invitational At right in the photo, Allyson Felix beats Dee Dee Trotter to the finish line in the 300m February 9, 2007, at the Tyson Invitational.

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Beth Hall

Myriane Samson of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu ,Quebec at the Canadian Nationals January 17 - 21, 2007

The women's podium: below from left, silver medalist Mira Leung, gold medalist Joannie Rochette, and bronze medalist Lesley Hawker

Photo sources: (all) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Paul Darrow

I'm going out on a limb here, but, contrary to popular myth and nomenclature, rape is not a motivator

Banner day at Duke

Game photos here, but you might have to register (have an endless stream of emails sent that you will wonder about a couple of months from now.)

Peng Shuai of China this week at the Pattaya Women's Open where Sania Mirza came oh so close

Dulko ends Mirza run in Thailand

Pattaya Women's Open 2007 Photo Gallery

Photo sources: Yahoo! News/REUTERS/REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Adrees Latif; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

It's about women! It's about women! It's about women!

The NCAA is absolutely right: critical social, legal and ethical issues cannot be left to school athletic directors. ADs are notoriously out of touch with modern social realities.

The article at the very bottom of this post exemplifies all the wrong ways to approach Title IX considerations:

• wrong attitude: "Circle the wagons! The battle is on!" The issue is not about men in sports; there are men in sports. The issue is about women, and their participation, in sports.
• wrong concept: The NCAA, society, the world are all clear on what coaches are doing in colleges; the question is what coaches should be doing in colleges.
• wrong tone: Not the way to predicate a dialog between the sexes in the 21st Century.

Men Beware! NCAA Has Seen Enemy and It's You

Serena! 6-1 6-2 over Sharapova

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rick Stevens

Slip by Emily Hughes allows Meissner to squeak into US National gold

Lookee here: Sun-Sentinel: 49 photos of Emily Hughes (please help the poor man out!)

New York Daily News: Hughes spills into second

The Columbus Dispatch: FIGURE SKATING U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS: Meissner wins title after Hughes falls

Fox sports: Meissner wins first national title, Hughes takes tumble

Whittier Daily news: Hughes' fall makes Meissner champion

But Emily Hughes has given notice that Kimmie Meissner is not the force to be overcome on the world stage.

Beautiful! Just beautiful! Australian Open women's singles champion '07

Photo source: Yahoo! News(things are a bit in disarray; can't get back to this January 19th photo at this moment)

Australian Open week 1: Croatia's Jelena Kostanic Tosic

Australian Open women's singles official results (draws): here

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/David Gray; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/David Gray; Yahoo! News/AP/Rick Stevens; Yahoo! News/AP/Rick Stevens

Amelie Mauresmo practices for Australian Open start tomorrow

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Stuart Milligan; Yahoo! News/AP/Vincent Thian

USA's Meghann Shaughnessy and partner defeat USA's Meilen Tu & Co in Sydney doubles's final

Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States (left in the photo at left) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany defeated Meilen Tu of the USA (in the white and black in the photos below) and Marion Bartoli of France 6-3 3-6 7-6 in the women's doubles final at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 12, 2007.

Photo source: (in order) Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rob Griffith; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Will Burgess; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Rob Griffith

Tangela Smith to play at Minnesota: an outstanding matchup!

Women's basketball, particularly among the sports, has entered a period of self-examination, a catharsis that has defined social progress through conflict for the past at least 60 years. Women must define themselves; history says women will define themselves. But I'm thinking (very scientifically only) that, because it can sometimes be blind and insensitive, it is a situation best viewed while I address my own social (and Spiritual) advocacies, respecting the space required for an effectual resolution of the relevant societal inquiries. So, I've not been out to the WNBA website, have maintained only a cursory interest in the NCAA bball season, since the US National team scored its only 6 points in the third quarter of the semifinals at worlds in October.

But I was much overjoyed to have stumbled over this 2007 Charlotte Sting Dispersal Draft Analysis (I know nothing more of the situation), indicating Tangela Smith may play for the Minnesota Lynx this summer. That's a good fit: Tangela, I believe, will enjoy it, while Minnesota now has all the tools. Charlotte was my most favorite WNBA team; with Tangela, Minnesota unquestionably now is. (I know this is only preliminary: much trading and scrambling is in the offing before season start this May.)

Notwithstanding, Chicago needed Tangela. (I've seen Candice Dupree play but the one time last season the Sky played in Houston, and she seems at least unwilling, if not incapable, of the maturity required to inspire greater achievement in her teammates.) (Tangela would have found Chicago too stressful for the kind of quiet, silky style she has when she is at her best.) Minnesota would not have done bad with Monique Currie. (In my view, Monique's effectual career span is no greater than Tangela's now.) We'll see.

It's got to be: still they are schools, and there is a duty owed the athletes; Body defers decision on male practice players for further study

CBSSportsline.com: NCAA gets tougher on teams failing to meet academic standards

I attended Texas Southern University, whose reputation for teaching public school teachers is unmatched in Texas and neighboring states. But I spent my entire time there advocating one simple principle: then teach these blankity-blank pedagogues to teach! It's not rocket science!

Sania Mirza begins new season with win; the goddess out in round one of Sydney International to so far unstoppable Jelena Jankovic

The Hindu (January 9, 2007): Sania Mirza begins season in style At right, Martina Hingis in the semifinals at Gold Coast, Australia, Friday, Jan. 5, 2007.

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Charlie Knight

True role modeling: The City of Philadelphia: with no WNBA team of its own at the moment, yet beaming at its women's sports achievements

Philadelphia Daily News: On Women's Basketball: Many of the sport's big stories of 2006 had a local link

Kim Yu Na nursing injury

Really kind'a want to think that beautiful, enthralling 16 year old sports phenoms are impervious to sports injury. Alas: Figure skating: S. Korea's Kim could bypass q'fier to make worlds